ETHIOPIA
Loosening the Grip
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s chief of staff said Sunday that the country must pursue a true multi-party democracy, suggesting that Abiy’s Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front will further loosen its grip on power amid a series of sweeping democratic reforms.
“PM Abiy concluded: Given our current politics, there is no option except pursuing a multi-party democracy supported by strong institutions that respect human rights and rule of law,” Reuters quoted Abiy’s chief of staff, Fitsum Arega as saying.
Apart from making peace with neighboring Eritrea, since taking office in April Abiy has released political prisoners and reduced the state’s control over the economy. This month, his government lifted a ban on opposition groups that were considered terrorists.
In theory, the country’s constitution already allows multiple political parties but the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front has kept a tight stranglehold on power since it won control over the country in 1991.
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